I love a Really Good Question as much as anyone, but, as meta as it may be, it can be useful to ask the question “why are we asking this question?” Here’s an overly simple example:
Should we do X instead of the established Y?
< why are we asking this?>
Asking why we’re asking this, in this case, will likely surface the answer that Y isn’t what some people really want to do. Or, it’s possible that X is fine, but Y represents the adjacent possible and should be explored to see if there isn’t an opportunity to maximize efforts. By asking “why are we asking this” you can begin to explore alternatives that can be tested and the results can be weighted by the value they add.
Really Great Questions Inspire Really Great Answers, but not without some experimenting and testing.It’s also very easy to frame your questions to get at the answer you want. We’re all biased to our desires and keep them on a leash while we seek out truth and fact is easier said than done.
If you can’t craft an experiment, you’re probably not asking the right question. You might have to ask more questions, to find the right question. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.